Curriculum Summary
Our curriculum has been developed over a number of years but will continue to evolve and change as we identify ways of improving what we do. As the world around us is continually changing the curriculum will need to reflect these changes and will be kept under review to ensure that it is effectively meeting the needs of our pupils. We will continue to engage with pupils, parents and all stakeholders on a regular basis to inform our decisions about curriculum development.
You can play a part in this development by sharing your ideas and views through questionnaires further down this page.
Our Vision
Our school vision:
Our school vision was created in 2020 after consulting with pupils, parents and governors through our Stakeholder evenings, questionnaires and then through an INSET day where governors and staff considered all of the information we had gathered.
Learning and growing together, to become the best we can be.
Our mission is to help pupils …
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Grow spiritually, emotionally and academically
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Develop strong, healthy enriching relationships (and attitudes)
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Realise and reach their full potential
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Experience high quality teaching
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Recognise that they are special and unique in the sight of God
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Build their understanding of the responsibility they have to make difference to the world and to be agents of change
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Express their ideas thoughts and emotions creatively
We will …
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Equip pupils with knowledge, skills and dispositions for life-long learning
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Create a breadth of experiences catering for a full range of interests
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Encourage engagement with all stakeholders
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Form an environment that nurtures and develops
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Establish a culture of learning for both pupils and staff
Our curriculum has been designed to:
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enable learners to develop in the way described in the four purposes
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provide for appropriate progression and accord with the principles of progression set out in the ‘Progression Code.’ This has been developed in collaboration with schools across our cluster
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be suitable for learners of differing ages, abilities and aptitudes
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be broad and balanced
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encompass the concepts set out in the statements of what matters in the ‘Statements of What Matters Code’ and the ‘Relationships and Sexuality Code’
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provide for learning and teaching that encompasses each of the Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLE)
It will also include:
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Welsh
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Relationships and Sexuality Education (in developmentally appropriate way)
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Religion Values and Ethics (RVE)
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Cross-curricular skills (literacy, numeracy and digital competence)
What does our curriculum look like?
We have developed the concept of golden threads which run throughout all of the Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLE). These threads provide a context for all learning that encompasses all of the mandatory elements.
Our topics are arranged on a two-year cycle and these will be reviewed at the end of each year, decisions will be made about whether the topics are still suitable and meet all of the above requirements.
When planning our topics, we have ensured that they all meet the four purposes and that coverage of the AoLEs is comprehensive, cyclical and develops pupils understanding of all 27 of the Statements of what matters.
(Please click on Journeys below for an example of how the topics work in practice)
Autumn
Spring
Summer
1st year
Change
Competition
2nd year
Power
Connection and communication
Consequences
The four purposes are at the heart of all that we do, these are the starting point and aspiration for every young person in Wales.
The four purposes will help learners to be:
• an ambitious, capable learner, ready to learn throughout their life
• an enterprising, creative contributor, ready to play a full part in life and work
• an ethical, informed citizen, ready to play their part in Wales and the world
• a healthy, confident individual, ready to lead a fulfilling life as a valued member of society.
Areas of Learning and Experience
As well as literacy, numeracy and digital skills, there are six areas of learning and experience. Everything pupils learn will be connected to these.
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Languages, Literacy and Communication
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Mathematics and Numeracy
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Science and Technology
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Humanities
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Health and Well-being
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Expressive Arts
The curriculum will also include:
• human rights
• diversity and respecting differences
• experiences and skills for careers and the workplace
• learning about things on a local, national and international level
• relationships and sexuality education, appropriate to the pupil’s development.
Statements of what matters in learning are contained in each area of learning and experience, these shape learning, for children of all ages. They help your child think about what they’re learning and how topics link to each other, to work and to life. They also support your child to progress each year as they build their understanding and skills.
Assessment
Our assessment arrangements are informed by the mandatory principles of progression, and the strategies that we use enable each individual learner to make progress at an appropriate pace. The purpose of our assessment processes are to identify pupils who require further support or challenge and to provide rich information to inform their next steps of learning. Assessment will take place in a variety of ways and for three main reasons.
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Supporting individual learners on an ongoing, day-to-day basis
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Identifying, capturing and reflecting on individual learner progress over time
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Understanding group progress to reflect on practise
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There are a variety of assessments that take place at various points throughout the year that help us identify how pupils are progressing, but the majority of assessment will take place on a daily basis with ongoing conversations and feedback for the pupils. Assessment for Learning strategies are well embedded through all learning and teaching and help support pupils on their learning journey. Our assessment schedule identifies the main summative assessments that place at various points in the year.
Progression within each of the AoLE has been developed as part of our cluster work with primary schools from the Vale of Glamorgan. This work will continue and will be reviewed to ensure that our curriculum is engaging, challenging and relevant.
We will continue to share the progress that pupils are making in school through regular parent/teacher meetings throughout the year and in a summary report at the end of the year. We will be developing the methods that we use to share this information so that it is informative and helpful to you and your child and would welcome feedback on the approaches that we use.